However, none of the success he’s experienced inside a cage compares to a particular win during his wrestling days. Cormier was a week away from competing to earn a spot on the Olympic team when tragedy struck and his three-month old daughter was killed in an automobile accident.

“I locked myself in my room. The world was gonna pass me by,” said Cormier in a recent interview with Showtime promoting his May 19 match-up with Barnett.

After some urging from a coach, Cormier decided to bottle his emotion and give it a go only to lose the first of a three-match series. Then, showing the kind of heart and dedication since carrying over into his MMA career, Cormier came out and pinned his opponent in the following clash only to follow it up with an overtime win in the final.

“Competition drives me. It makes me who I am. Anytime I’m doing anything I want to be the best at that thing that I’m doing, and to this day that is the proudest match I’ve ever had in my entire life. Because it that moment I had won for my kid,” said a reflective Cormier.

Watch the full video below where Cormier also documents his love of wrestling from an early age: